In this episode, we get to learn about a European business model for RV rentals. Our Austrian friend, Sebastian, tells us all about how he uses his campers to make additional summer income through the use of a vacation rental website. We learn what people want to know about campers before they rent them, and how he makes sure they have a personalized experienced.
Bekkah: Today we have the opportunity to talk with Sebastian Biber about a business that he has. We are super excited to talk to him because I haven’t talked to him for a very long time. And stay till the end because we have a really good story we’re going to share with you about Sebastian. He is going to tell us a little bit about his business. Tell us what you do!
Sebastian: Yes, great to talk with you guys here. And yes basically I have two campers and I rent it to people during the summertime.
How Did You Start Your RV Rental Business?
Ruthie: Tell us the story. How did you get involved with that?
Sebastian: It started like this, my wife and I, made a Europe trip ourselves two years ago. We first wanted to rent a car, a camper for this time but we realized, “Wow four months, it costs a lot of money.” So we just decided let’s just buy one. After those four months, we fell really in love with this type of vacation, flexibility, and camping in Europe. We decided that we wanted to keep the van, but we also knew that it costs a lot of money to hold it, to have a space, to invest in it. But during this travel someone said, “Hey, you can rent it to other people because of course, you don’t have vacation all the time yourself.” So we said, “Hey let’s try this in the autumn.” We did, and surprisingly there were lots of people who wanted our camper for two weeks or one week or longer. We did it the next year again and it went also really well. There were a lot of people who wanted it so we decided to buy a second one. Right now we have two cars we rent in the summertime.
Ruthie: Wow, you have these beautiful campers that you’ve got and where are you located?
Sebastian: We’re located in Austria in the western part. It’s not Australia, just saying. It’s Europe. This small country under Germany. And you may know, Europe is really small in comparison to the States so within one or two hours we can hit, actually from my location, like five different countries in Europe. The city is called Innsbruck. In half an hour we’re in Italy. In one hour we’re in Germany, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein. It’s just really close. It’s good for tourists if they want the flexibility to see different countries and not book hotels, but also be close to the ocean or the sea or some mountain place. It’s really practical for them to buy a van for this time or to rent a camper.
How Do You Cross a European Border in A Camper Van Rental?
Ruthie: Does it get complicated for them crossing borders or not really?
Sebastian: Not at all.
Ruthie: Really?
Sebastian: I mean Switzerland is a small exception. All the other parts are in the European Union. They are not even borders so you can just cross. No one cares really.
Ruthie: Then when they come back what’s your process then? Do you have to clean them and pass it on to somebody else? What does that look like?
Sebastian: We have a sheet that you fill out in the beginning and the end. How many miles is in the car and then you go around, you look at the outside, and mark the damages. You do the same for the inside. When they come back, you check it again, they get back the money for the damage deposit then that’s it. Then of course for me it’s cleaning to set up everything for the next campers and that’s basically all the work.
How Do you Store Your RV in The City When It’s Not Being Rented For Your Business?
Ruthie: Do you have a lot of time between campers? Where do you store it in the meantime when people aren’t renting it?
Sebastian: The fortunate thing in our city is we have a permit to park on the streets. We don’t have a private parking spot, but on the street is really close to our house. We can park it there. Usually, I try to have two days in between so that you have time for filling up the gas. Also the camping gas for the kitchen. To clean it and if something needs to be repaired then I have time to do that. So two days, I like to have.
Ruthie: Are there any specific rules or anything with the company that you work through? Do they say you have to have this cleaned or you have to have these specific things to use a camper?
Sebastian: Yes, there are some things that must be inside so you can actually call it a camper. So like the kitchen, fridge, electricity for when you are at the camping site. There really are different types of cars within that website.
Ruthie: Lots of variety. Tell us about the company you go through. You said you heard about it while you were on your four-month vacation. That is crazy to me. That’s such a European thing. That doesn’t really happen in the U.S.
Bekkah: Unless you’re a teacher.
What Is Your Review Experience Using PaulCamper.com?
Sebastian: Yes. I like to describe it because most people know Air B&B. It’s basically the same idea only with a camper. It’s called PaulCamper.com. [Here are the links to both of Sebastian’s campers: 1 and 2.] I think it’s a German company but I read they tried to also set it up in other countries as well, but for now it’s really just in Europe. In German-speaking countries, it’s kind of getting famous. They bring the clients to me basically. Through their website, customers can say, “Oh I want to start my trip in Innsbruck,” so then they find my cars. They can ask if they can have my calendar there. They can ask me, “Hey what is the fee, how much does it cost?” then I can communicate with them.
Of course, Paul Camper gets a part of it. [Here is a link to get a $40 credit for your first rental.] They get 20% of the price is their fee. There’s also a part for insurance that I have to pay. Maybe around sixty percent of the price I can receive basically. Another thing I recommend, especially for you guys from the states or from Canada who come to Europe for some weeks for a Europe trip. Of course, normally transportation is really good in Europe with trains and everything. But especially if you want to go to the south of Europe starting from Italy or Croatia or Greece of these areas – I just recommend you to think maybe use a camper for this. Like I said before, the borders are really open. It’s really easy and this way you can just get to every ocean, to every spot, to every city really easy. For people from the States a new way to make a vacation in Europe.
How Did You Decide to Invest In A Second Camper for Your RV Rental Business?
Bekkah: When you started doing this, how did you think, “Ok we like it so much we’re going to do two campers.” What made you make that decision? Was it the profitability or was it just because you wanted to use one while other people were renting your other one? What made you come to say, “We’re going to make this next investment?”
Sebastian: Probably both. The one this is I just love these cars a lot. Everything is in the perfect place. Everything is so well thought out. Every inch of the camper car is just perfectly made for this. That’s how I kind of started to love it. Also the flexibility for us if one camper is away a month, we sometimes said, “Oh man. Now we would like to have our own small vacation for four days to some lake.” Of course, with two cars we can probably use one of them for us as well. Also talking with the customers to see if they had a good experience. It has just been a fun experience for us.
In normal life, I’m a social worker so it’s something completely different. I just really like the different settings for business I guess.
Ruthie: Yeah. Are your campers the same? Do they look exactly the same or are they kinda unique?
Sebastian: They’re almost the same. They’re the same model but one is like a meter longer and it’s a little bit different. But they are both Volkswagen (Totally not related, but in our research we found some cool retro ones! You should check out this gawk-worthy link) and a similar type of car. That’s also good for us because for some equipment, I only need one type of this equipment. For example, if someone wants the bikes with them it fits to both cars. That’s why it’s nice to have almost the same one.
How Do You Maintenance The Camper Vans for Your Business?
Ruthie: What does that look like with maintenance? You said you only need the same equipment, do you use the same tools for them, do you have other people fix the cars, or do you do that yourself?
Sebastian: Small things I try to fix by myself. Of course, if there’s something with the brakes or the tires, like normal mechanical things I go to a mechanic who does it. There are also amazing websites where people have tutorials to show how to fix things. I really like to do that because if it’s just some practical things that usually I can do it. I try to do it. It takes probably way more time but it’s also fun to have a challenge.
Ruthie: What happens if it breaks down when one of your guests is using it?
Sebastian: That as not happened yet. Thank God. But there’s insurance on it. If that were to happen, of course, I’m safe because in the worst-case scenario, I would get the money for the worth of the whole car. They would get a new car. It’s an assistance package where they would get the car to end their holiday basically. Probably not a camper car but they would get a car. But that has not happened yet.
What Have You Learned to Avoid in Business When Renting Your RV’s?
Ruthie: How do you deal with bad experiences? Have you had any bad experiences with it and if so, what has been your response to that?
Sebastian: The bad experiences were more the ones when you tried to get a booking. You were investing time with them for an hour or two, talking with them, explaining everything, and then you fix a date. Then you don’t get a response, then you realize, “Wow, what’s going on.” Then they say, “No, now I have a different one and I don’t need it.” So that’s kind of a bad experience. My response, now would be to get the first contacts more with email. I don’t have to lose so much time explaining everything. If they book it, I’m super happy to talk with them because, then it’s booked and I have security. If they booked the car, and if they reschedule it I get a little bit of the money at least.
After that, I can take more time, with customer service. In the beginning, I was like, “Yeah!” Talking with them for two hours and then they’re like, “Yeah, no. I won’t take it.” So that’s like something I learned.
Ruthie: How do you communicate with them? Do you communicate with them through the website or do they have your personal contact information?
Sebastian: They make a request and I can either call them, write them in the email, or in the website they also have a chat to do it right there. I usually do it with their chat and have some emails already set up. I have an email I can send to them with information. Then some of them are like, “Yeah, we would like to talk,” or they have some questions.
What Is the Biggest Fear of Renting A Camper Van?
Bekkah: What’s the biggest apprehension, or the biggest concern people have when they talk to you about renting your camper normally?
Sebastian: Some of them have no experience with camping so either they’re like, “Yeah but how is the gas… are you sure that it’s not leaking and we will die?” I’m like “Yes, I’m really sure,” and I will explain everything and how it works. It’s still a small, pretty small car. Actually a small bus so it’s not a huge thing, you know? That’s probably their concern. Whether they can manage it. How is it with electricity and the water? What if the water is dirty? And then they freak out and I’m like, “There’s a way you can get dirty water out of the car then you can just refresh it with fresh water.” It’s not that complicated.
Ruthie: I’m just laughing because I’m thinking about the way our family does camping which is the most luxurious roughing it you’ve ever seen. We bring air mattresses and stuff. We’ll stay in tents but we bring air mattresses and try to stay at the nicest camp grounds. We have KOAs, that’s what they’re called. Campground of Americas but with a K instead of a C. One time we stayed at one that literally had a man-made pond thing that you could ride little paddle boats on. They’re usually pretty nice and we like to think that we’re roughing it, but we’re really not.
Bekkah: For those of you guys that are listening, you guys have to understand Sebastian is one of the most outdoorsy people I can think of. I’m sure you have a lot of really good tips for them. Do you have any things that you do to make it more personalized? Do you give them a list of places to visit or recipes you can cook in the equipment here,
or anything like that, that you guys do?
Sebastian: That’s probably more on the part of my wife. She puts a little bit of love into the cars. We try to also have nice things, not only practical things but that look nice and are comfortable. We have a camping table with seats to it. In one camper we have a recipe book and of course we give them some personal tips to go to this lake etc to make it a little more personal, I guess.
What Would You Recommend to Someone Looking to Start an RV Rental Business?
Ruthie: That’s awesome. For somebody starting out with this, what would you recommend? What things to avoid or things to absolutely do?
Sebastian: I mean the first thing you need is, you need to have a camper, of course. And maybe you have to be just willing that other people will use it. If it’s your “holy cow,” an expression we say in German, then don’t do it. If you’re super picky about everything, but if you’re ok to let other people use it, maybe there will be a scratch in one or another thing. It’s good training just to let it go. Not everything will stay the same forever. And then just start it, you know! Have people rent it, maybe some friends first who you trust a little bit more. Think the best from the people who want it. Have trust in advance. So that’s maybe a tip. Yes.
Bekkah: Trust people not to wreck your stuff. That’s fair. That’s fair.
Ruthie: And if they do it’s not the end of the world.
Sebastian: There is of course a contract and you have to write if there’s something broken and say, “Wow, man, that’s like two hundred bucks so I just keep it from the deposit.” You can do that of course. Or you can give them a chance, you say, “ok, you buy me a new one or repair it,” or whatever. But yes, of course, you’re safe in not losing something there.
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